Concerned about Government plans for social housing

autumn2012_2

spadoosh wrote: »

Not at all concerned. Im under 30, our household (2 adults, 1 dog and a baby due) earns less than your individual wage and we own our own property so not concerned about government plans for social housing.

I cant imagine there is that many people in social housing who have individual incomes of £37,000+. In fact i would hazard a guess that a good portion of social housing tenants will largely be unaffected by the proposals.

You could lobby mp's or seek legal help if you wish to challenge things.

You're the only person working in your household and are allowed to live in social housing at reduced rents compared to other people in your area earning £37,000. I cant help but think that you're not the person getting screwed over here.

I disagree with this - social housing is not subsidised. Also just because it doesnt personally affect you does not mean you shouldnt be concerned about it in general.

pathtofreedom

Congratulations on the children and that your mrs is doing well on her course. Try not to focus on what you seem to think is the bad right now, that you don't own a house, try to focus on the future you want and how to get there.

Lots of people have to make compromises in life. You chose to have kids, many people choose never to have them, as they don't meet someone, or can't afford them. Some people want to go to uni but can never afford it, so your mrs is lucky in that regard. Yes some people are born into more money than others, but just having money doesn't make you a better person.

I am 38 been single forever, and disabled. I do own (well own a tiny part, the bank owns most of it) of a house now. It has taken going to uni with no support, paying that debt off, being made redundant a lot of times and slowly working my way along for the past 20 years to get here. Oh and also losing a load of money on my last house, as I got trapped in negative equity due to buying in 2007 so I lost about 40k when I just sold it.

No one can predict the future, you could be hit by a bus tomorrow (god forbid) but it sounds like you have a plan, it is just deciding what is more important too you and your family.

Do you want a house you own, do you want the kids to have piano lessons etc which would mean you can't save as much for a deposit when you pay off your debt. Could you move to a cheaper area in the uk? Could you work days and your wife work nights, once she has qualified, so save on child care costs - I know families that have to do this - just to own your own home. Or would you rather your kids have the best education and experiences you could afford, and as much family time with you and your wife which means you just stay in rented accommodation. You could always save as well and just look at over 55 retirement properties to buy when the kids leave home instead, as they tend to be cheaper due to the convents attached.

fusionx212

lazer wrote: »

Fusion,


Are you sure you are not currently entitled to any help with rent.


I ran a £37k salary through the entitled 2 website, and you get £44 a week housing benefit? (But this is assuming £200 a week rent)


If you aren't entitled to help with rent now, you might be when rents go up

hi Lazer, I am not entitled as the wife is a full time student.

I do pay %5 pension

student loans do not exists as I am self taught and the any student loans my wife have rest with her once qualified.

her bursary pays for transport for placement all over the county and working anywhere within a 40 mile radius. it doesn't cover a lot..

I am happy to see the topic is now being looked at without a little bias to me. My circumstances are subject to change like everyone else's. These plans may not come into affect but at least people are seeing and understanding how it could effect the average person.

fusionx212

spadoosh wrote: »

Not at all concerned. Im under 30, our household (2 adults, 1 dog and a baby due) earns less than your individual wage and we own our own property so not concerned about government plans for social housing.

I cant imagine there is that many people in social housing who have individual incomes of £37,000+. In fact i would hazard a guess that a good portion of social housing tenants will largely be unaffected by the proposals.

You could lobby mp's or seek legal help if you wish to challenge things.

You're the only person working in your household and are allowed to live in social housing at reduced rents compared to other people in your area earning £37,000. I cant help but think that you're not the person getting screwed over here.

you have a mortgage did you get help to buy?

which is funded by the government, at the expense of the tax payer?

glass houses and all that..jazz



if more money came knocking from your job would you choose to decline it?

or would you take it? with the prospect of being better in life.

Would you move straight away and move out of a house you have lived in for 10 years straight whilst earning a lower salary. my situation is circumstantial. as pointed out before housing is not subsidised the rent is set and I am told what to pay.

a year ago I earnt drastically less than I do now with 2 kids and a student wife and have\had a lot of debts.

should I of just handed my keys back to housing association to my home back once I had my new job.

would you do the same. I think not?

sourcrates

I actually think your lucky to be earning such a large wage OP.

I live on the north east coast where the average wage is around £15000 a year, if your lucky, most jobs are min wage.

I am not an uneducated person, but have never earned as much as that, possibly through choice of not wanting to leave gods own county of Yorkshire, lovely countryside, rubbish pay.

The real problem is that wages do not keep pace with house prices, or rents for that matter, I am lucky I have my parents house, which was bought for £18,500 in 1980, otherwise I'd be clinging to the same liferaft as everyone else.

fusionx212

Thanks I am lucky. But in the same breath I work bloody hard.
Seems everyone gets a raw deal in the UK some more so than others.

lyndseyb2009

I can totally see both sides to this argument.

My OH's family also grew up on social housing. No one in his family has ever owned their own house (Zone 5 London) and have always been of the view they are "entitled" to social housing. I disagree - I don't think anyone should feel entitled to anything in life, but i appreciate that this is their view. They pay just over £700 a month for a large 3 bedroom house complete with parking and a private rear garden. My OH's brother owns his own company and makes a lot of money but as social housing is in the mums name (it is her residence - they also live there), and it is not necessarily always means tested or monetary tested, I guess that's just the way it has worked for them.

But as someone who does have to pay £1100 for a small 1 bed studio apartment in Zone 6 (and then £230 a month in travel to Zone 1 for work) - yes sometimes it does annoy me that there are people who can afford to rent privately living in social housing. However that being said - I do understand that in some cases private renting is just totally un-affordable and every family has their own situation. Judging by your location (London catchment) I do concur that you probably would struggle to rent a 3 bed in London on your salary alone. I earn the same as you (£37K) but we also have the luxury of my OH also having a full time salary (30K) so we by no means struggle (now that my DMP is paid off - parents debt, long story). I know most 3 bedroom houses are renting in my area for around £2k a month , which on a salary of £37K alone wouldn't leave much change. So I get why if you do have a social house, you'd want to cling onto it for dear life.

I may have a high household income but if I had the chance to rent anywhere at a reduced rate I certainly would - If i lived anywhere else I probably wouldn't so much, but in London even with a combined income of myself and my OH - we would struggle to get on the property ladder and have a reasonable mortgage for a nice 3 bed house. By comparison in my native Belfast (where we plan on buying next year or 2018) an average 3 bed can cost as little as 60K (and yes granted salaries are lower) but a mortgage of £300 a month vs a mortgage of £1500 a month in London is a no brainer for us.

I do agree that the changes being put in place are in a way I guess unreasonable - but on the flip side as I have said, because they are not necessarily awarded based on income etc, there probably are people living in social houses that can afford to privately rent. It's not such a black and white topic and certainly for me although I understand that I don't need social housing due to my earnings, who would seriously pass down an opportunity to live in a bigger perhaps nicer house on a reduced rent? I get that there may be people "more in need" etc but if the local council wanted to give me a housing association home I certainly wouldn't be saying no!

spadoosh

@Autumn2012

I disagree with this - social housing is not subsidised. Also just because it doesnt personally affect you does not mean you shouldnt be concerned about it in general.

Dont believe i mentioned it being subsidised?

Can you explain to me why i should be concerned about government plans for social housing, with particular context to the OP's situation?


@fusion

you have a mortgage did you get help to buy?

which is funded by the government, at the expense of the tax payer?

glass houses and all that..jazz



if more money came knocking from your job would you choose to decline it?

or would you take it? with the prospect of being better in life.

Would you move straight away and move out of a house you have lived in for 10 years straight whilst earning a lower salary. my situation is circumstantial. as pointed out before housing is not subsidised the rent is set and I am told what to pay.

a year ago I earnt drastically less than I do now with 2 kids and a student wife and have\had a lot of debts.

should I of just handed my keys back to housing association to my home back once I had my new job.

would you do the same. I think not?

Didnt get help to buy, always felt relying on the government to be able to afford a property generally meant that you couldnt afford that property as such would put me at too great a risk should circumstances change. We saved for our deposit whilst living extremely frugally.

I doubt i would decline more money from my job.

More money and better is not a correlation i generally agree with.

I would probably do similar to yourself in that i would take advantage of paying cheaper rates for social housing. However i would not then choose to complain or air my grievances regarding your landlord deciding they might want to increase your rent which is only affordable due to tax payers money based on the fact that your not the type of person that social housing was intended for.

Your welcome to do whatever you like of course, however blaming the government for your predicament is, i believe, lacking financial responsibility. Your'e in reciept of something that isnt afforded to a lot of 'hard working' people of Britain yet feel compelled to complain.


Im sorry im not defending your position or backing it up but i disagree with it. Im not a big fan of government in general and think that the vast majority of people should be capable of looking after themselves without government intervention, i get the impression that not even 25% of this country are able to look after themselves without outside help. There seems to be a lack of responsibility.

So have you any ideas what your going to do about these changes? Or what you can do to mitigate the changes? Are you willing to make sacrifices in order to change your current position? Overtime? P/t for the partner (a family member is studying midwifery whilst working 20 hours a week with a 3 and 4 year old)? Cut costs?

fusionx212

spadoosh wrote: »

@Autumn2012

Dont believe i mentioned it being subsidised?

Can you explain to me why i should be concerned about government plans for social housing, with particular context to the OP's situation?


@fusion

Didnt get help to buy, always felt relying on the government to be able to afford a property generally meant that you couldnt afford that property as such would put me at too great a risk should circumstances change. We saved for our deposit whilst living extremely frugally.

I doubt i would decline more money from my job.

More money and better is not a correlation i generally agree with.

I would probably do similar to yourself in that i would take advantage of paying cheaper rates for social housing. However i would not then choose to complain or air my grievances regarding your landlord deciding they might want to increase your rent which is only affordable due to tax payers money based on the fact that your not the type of person that social housing was intended for.

Your welcome to do whatever you like of course, however blaming the government for your predicament is, i believe, lacking financial responsibility. Your'e in reciept of something that isnt afforded to a lot of 'hard working' people of Britain yet feel compelled to complain.


Im sorry im not defending your position or backing it up but i disagree with it. Im not a big fan of government in general and think that the vast majority of people should be capable of looking after themselves without government intervention, i get the impression that not even 25% of this country are able to look after themselves without outside help. There seems to be a lack of responsibility.

So have you any ideas what your going to do about these changes? Or what you can do to mitigate the changes? Are you willing to make sacrifices in order to change your current position? Overtime? P/t for the partner (a family member is studying midwifery whilst working 20 hours a week with a 3 and 4 year old)? Cut costs?

I still have a year or so to dwell and improve my money situation, it may not happen any ways. Ideally I want to look at getting a mortgage and recently I've had success in removing defaults listed on my credit file so this will improve my credit drastically.

Costs have been cut and I in no way shape or form act frivolously with money.

it's a wait and see situation

autumn2012_2

fusionx212 wrote: »

I still have a year or so to dwell and improve my money situation, it may not happen any ways. Ideally I want to look at getting a mortgage and recently I've had success in removing defaults listed on my credit file so this will improve my credit drastically.

Costs have been cut and I in no way shape or form act frivolously with money.

it's a wait and see situation

If your in London its 40k threshold but I wouldnt worry to much about it as its awhile off yet and may not even happen. Dont feel ashamed about living in Social housing as some people on here would like - social housing is actually good. Instead of your rent lining an investors pocket its going to the LA which then gets reinvested in the community